The Crisis in a Nutshell: Quotes of the Week

“He is going to be a person of eloquence as he describes his plans for making the economy better. But don’t forget he’s been President for three-and-a-half years, and talk is cheap.” —Mitt Romney, on President Obama’s speech in Ohio Thursday

“Over the next five months, this election will take many twists and many turns, polls will go up and polls will go down, there will be no shortage of gaffes and controversies that keep both campaigns busy and give the press something to write about. You may have heard I recently made my own unique contribution to that process.” —President Obama, speaking in Ohio

“We have to allow our big institutions to fail. It’s part of the health of the system. And we shouldn’t prop them up. … I call it bankruptcy for big dumb banks.” —JPMorgan Chase C.E.O. Jamie Dimon, while testifying in front of Congress after his company was hit with two billion dollars worth of trading losses

“We can hardly sit in judgment of your losing two billion. We lose twice that every day here in Washington.” —Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, to Dimon

“We’re the number four power in Europe. Spain is not Uganda.” —Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, in an optimistic text message to his finance minister

“They treat former governors like criminals and I’ve had enough. I won’t be treated like a criminal anymore so the only alternative is not to fly.” —Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, on his frustration with airport security

“So technically, I could be caught with a joint in New York and be fined $100, but if I’m caught with a a Slurpee, it’s $200.” —Meghan McCain, referring to recent proposals from, respectively, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

“Every now and again, a politician comes along who is just truly terrible and really deserving of more scorn than even we can dole out in our nightly twenty-one-minute, thirty-second wise-ass-athon.” —Jon Stewart, on Florida Governor Rick Scott

“Unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.” —Lance Armstrong, in response to new accusations made against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency

“They will be real clouds that will be hanging over the stadium. Work that out if you can. We know we’re an island culture and an island climate. One of these clouds will provide rain on the evening, just in case it doesn’t rain.” —The director Danny Boyle, on his plans for a quintessentially British Olympic Games Opening Ceremony